United Airlines Glitch Results in Next-to-Nothing Fares … Again

[1]For the second time in just over a month, customers on United Airlines‘ (UAL[2]) website were able to snag fantastic deals[3]. But this time, the carrier says it won’t accept them.

Word of a error on the airline’s website went viral on Monday evening. Users could exploit a glitch in the system that allowed them to book flights using Mileage Plus flier miles that they didn’t actually possess. Prices for round-trip flights to overseas destinations could be purchased for as little as $5 using the glitch, the Daily News noted.

The incident follows a similar problem earlier this month during which customers on the website were briefly able to book domestic flights for free[4]. In that case, the carrier said it would honor fares purchased during the glitch.

United Airlines says this time is different because people were using flier miles they didn’t actually have to purchase the errantly discounted roundtrips. “This is an intentional manipulation of our website,” the carrier tweeted.

Customers who managed to grab the massive discount and did have enough flier miles in their Mileage Plus accounts will have the fares honored.

Word of the website issue was broadly tweeted on Monday, with some Twitter users claiming to have booked trips between New Jersey and Ireland for as little as $49.50.